REPOST frm 10/10 mittenlit.com: @WSUpress Wed 10th event & Lansing Poet feature via @mittenlit1 #michlit

mittenlit.com         Wayne State Press holds its annual Celebration of the Books October 9, 2012 at 7:13 PM   Each year Wayne State Press pulls off a great fall fundraiser which ties together a great venue and great books and this year's event is exceptional. The Press' Celebration of Books will be held at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul at 4800 Woodward in Detroit from 5:30 -8 p.m., Wednesday October 10. To purchase tickets to this event contact Emily Nowak at 313-577-6128 0r by email enowak@wayne.edu. The Cathedral Church is one of 37 featured in the incredible new book "Detroit's Historic Places of Worship" published by Wayne State University Press. the book was compiled by Maria Collum, Barbara Krueger and Dorothy Kostuch. The photos are by Dirk Bakker. I heard an historian today give kudos to the book for the details on the architects and crafts people who helped build the churches. She said for historians this type of detail is very important and is seldom included in books of this type. The authors profiled 37 architecturally and historically significant houses of worship that represent eight denominations and nearly 150 years of history. The authors focus on Detroit's most prolific era of church building, the 1850s to the 1930s, in chapters that are arranged chronologically. Entries begin with each building's founding congregation and trace developments and changes to the present day. Full-color photos by Dirk Bakker bring the interiors and exteriors of these amazing buildings to life, as the authors provide thorough architectural descriptions, pointing out notable carvings, sculptures, stained glass, and other decorative and structural features. Read more about the book here. The book is something to behold and interestingly the authors and photographer raised more than $15,000 of the publishing costs through an appeal on Kickstarter.com, an internet based crowd-source funding program. Read about the Kickstarter program here. And read a great article on the overall project here.           A poet and a mystery writer visit Lansing October 9, 2012 at 6:15 PM   Poet Joyce Benvenuto will do a reading, answer questions and sign her new collection of poetry "A Grand River: Poems for Michigan" Wednesday October 10 at 7 p.m. at Schuler Books in Okemos. Benvenuto's newest book of poetry brings life to the many generations of those of us who have either lived along the shore of the Grand River or those who live on the many rambling roads named after it. ( I can see both the river and the road from my house.) The book covers 160 years of history and its poems trace life from Detroit to Grand Rapids and through to Grand Haven where the river dumps into Lake Michigan. Benvenuto taught English and creative writing at Haslett Public Schools for 18 years.  She received her teaching degree from Michigan State University. On Thursday night in Holt the blockbuster author Steve Hamilton will talk about his work and his very popular Alex McKnight Series which is set in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Hamilton will be at the Holt Junior High School at 6:30 p.m., Thurday October 11. Hamilton is the winner of two Edgar Awards, one for the best first novel ("Cold Day in Paradise") and the other for best novel ("Lock Artist"). Only a handful of authors have achieved that level of recognition. Hamilton is being sponsored by the Capital Area District Library as part of their Thumbs Up for the Mitten series which celebrate the uniqueness of Michigan. His most recent book is "Die a Stranger" and is a great noir road trip book that takes Alex on a quest to find one of his best friends. Hamilton's "Lock Artist" is in development for a movie and Hamilton is writing the script. Bestsellers Books & Coffee Company will be selling books at the event. Read more about Hamilton here and read a previous story on Mittenlit.com about his newest book here.